Dear Healers,

I would like to thank you for bringing your love, skill and compassion to all of us who have ‘issues.’ If you think about it, part of being human is to be imperfect – to have ‘issues’. And because of you healers out there who really care, who really want to help, who have dedicated yourselves throughout years of training and service – we have a chance at happiness. You bring us hope. You bring us healing.

You are the brave who are willing to listen, to embrace our pain, injury and loss. You are the beacons of light, shining out into the darkest of nights. You are compelled by an inner force of love – by a passion to serve. You shine forth – ready, willing and able. You embrace our suffering and simply ask, “How can I help?”

You are some of my favorite people! You healers, mental health care providers, naturopathic doctors, reiki practitioners, acupuncturists, healing touch providers, meditators, coaches, yoga instructors, massage therapists, writers, speakers, energy workers. You are my friends and clients because I am drawn to you. I admire your strength. You hold us in your caring hands and show us the way.

And yet, so many of you are challenged by overwhelm, by self care, by setting healthy boundaries. Because you care SO DEEPLY.

I see you. I love you. I support you.

I’m here to let you know – we need you. We need your listening, your skills, your expertise. We need you to reach us near & far. We need you to hold us up and show us the light. We need your healing guidance.

As an artist I offer you my intuition, empathy and creative skills. I specialize in developing unique logo designs that resonate with those you would most like to help.

As a graphic designer I offer you pleasing visual imagery and organizational structures that support your messaging and make it easier for people to understand what you’re offering them.

As a business builder I offer you assistance in strategizing about the business tools available to you that will give you the farthest reach and strongest impact. Print materials, website designs and/or email newsletters? I have the expertise to help you get it all set up, designed and working for you.

Let me know how I can support you, as you have supported me. I am always available for a chat, just click here.

This is for my daughter, my mother, my grandmother and all the women who came before her. This is for the sisterhood of my female business owners. This is for the women of the United States. This is for the women of the world. Together we rise.

I will not sit idly by as we watch the leadership of our country crumble and fall. I will not let our fight for equal rights get squashed by an orange-hued misogynist (a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women), racist (a person who believes that a particular race is superior to another), ableist (a person who is discriminatory against people with disabilities). Someone who has shown us time and time again through his actions and words that he does not support us. He taunts us, abuses us, objectifies us and discriminates against us.

As a woman of the United States, I have more freedoms than many. And I am grateful for that. I am also a single mother and independent business owner. Life can be hard, but I have a choice because of where I live. Women in other parts of the world don’t share the same freedoms.

If we were to elect the current Republican nominee as President of our great and imperfect nation, I cringe at what could follow. Our younger generations may not realize this but – women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920! And we didn’t get the right for legal abortion until 1973! It’s been less than 90 years since women in the U.S. have had rights. Can you imagine what would happen if he was elected?

The current Republican nominee is on record saying,”There should be some form of punishment” for women choosing abortion. He is also on record with his many, many disgusting and disrespectful comments about women. He is rape culture. He is the King of the good old boys club. He prides himself on “doing whatever he wants” with his money and gender.

Whether you support Hillary’s policies or not, I can assure you she is on our side. She’s a woman in a man’s world. A world where they didn’t even have a bathroom for women (in the House of Representatives) until 2011! She has been a steward of women’s rights throughout her entire career. She’s steady, she’s strong, and she doesn’t take sh*t.

Now is the time to take a stand. To choose a side. If we choose to stand idly by, we may be responsible for the fall of the greatest nation on earth. Together we have power. Together we can create change. Together we can stand up against those who try to tear us down. Together we rise.

I created this graphic and some promotional products to show my support for Hillary Clinton for President. I’ve also started a fundraiser with the following products, just click the image to buy!

New logo design for a local startup microbrew business!

Working with groups of people and trying to get everyone on the same page with design can be really tricky. I approach design from a creative & artistic perspective – which means everything is open to interpretation. Everyone will have a different viewpoint, and the same design can illicit completely different reactions – which it did in this case.

The initial design was exactly what the client wanted. We discussed it at length and he provided sample photos of badge images we used as inspiration. The first round of logo designs turned out pretty great:

Except the client was the point person for the GROUP. And the group had other ideas. They insisted on a different design direction. So we switched design directions, I integrated feedback from the group and presented 3 different design variations:

Many times people just need to ‘see it’. The clients really wanted the flaming sun image with the horizontal text in the middle, so I provided it (Even though I didn’t think it was the best design direction). But I also provided a sleeker, more contemporary & hand crafted variation that I thought would work well for their vision. Once they were able to see the possibilities, they were on board with the design.

I’m really excited for them to launch their new business in hand crafted microbrews, sounds like they have a fabulous IPA, which is my favorite!

If you or someone you know & like is interested in collaborating on a logo design for your business, I hope you’ll reach out! Just click here.

High quality businesses make greater sales.

When deciding who to purchase from, most consumers place the highest importance on product and service QUALITY (Read more here).

High Quality comes beforeexcellent customer service and beforelow cost. To effectively compete in today’s marketplace, businesses need to have it all pulled together.

So how do you show the high quality of a business to make greater sales?

Since I’m a branding pro, the first thing I think of is how the business “looks & feels” – which means branding. Branding includes these elements:

Messaging: Does the business language make sense and appeal to it’s target market?

Visual Branding: Has the business invested in a professional logo, website & marketing materials?

• If there is no brand message and no visual branding, the perceived quality of the business will be low.• If the brand message is confusing and the visual brand is unprofessional, the perceived quality of the business will be low.

How do you show the high quality of the products and services offered by the business to make greater sales?

Ingredients: Are it’s products made with high quality ingredients?

Service Descriptions: Are it’s services described clearly?

Service Results: Are it’s services detailing the results?

• If the products are made with low quality ingredients, the perceived quality of the business will be low.• If the services are not well defined, the perceived quality of the business will be low.• If the service results are not detailed, the perceived quality of the business will be low.

As consumers perceive a business to be low quality, they may pass it by until they find a high quality business to purchase from. Business competitors are everywhere – many of which have already polished up their messaging, visual branding, ingredients and services. And today’s consumers are using the internet to research everything before they commit. While many think it’s easier to have a business than ever before, with everyone competing in the same space (the internet) it’s also harder. Taking the time to fully develop a business that includes showing its high quality pays off with successful results that create greater sales!

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Cheryl Sheehan

"It's a privilege to recommend Maura. I hired her to create my business website and am thrilled with the end result. She is an awesome collaborator with the ability to distill ones vision and translate it into an authentic and powerful tool for your business. The passion she has for her work is contagious and shines in the products she creates. Thanks Maura!"

Jennifer McIntyre

“Maura is an amazing graphic designer and one of the best in the area. I continuously recommend her small business as the place to build a brand image. Her work is articulate, artistic, and completely meets the needs of the client. She's passionate about her desire to help clients! I would recommend her to anyone looking to re-brand themselves.”

Angela Lee

“Maura is a creative genius who does an amazing job inspiring and working with those of us who are...well...not. I am constantly amazed at how she artfully distills the essence of each business to send powerful marketing messages. She has also been quite patient as we work with small business budgets and timelines! ”

Tammy J. Bond

“If I only had one word to describe Maura and her work I would say 'Brilliant!' Working with Maura was the best thing I have done for my business in a very long time. She worked hard to more than produce high quality outcomes, she captured the essence of who I am in my branding.”

Christine Buckley

Business Manager & Consultant

“I have worked with Maura and used her as a design resource for my small business clients. She understands the needs of smaller companies, is a delight to work and collaborate with, and a flexible and accommodating graphic design artist and professional.”

Megan & Randy Mason

"We have worked with Maura on the creation/design of 3 wine labels and two box designs over the course of 4 years. Maura has always completed her designs on time and on budget- something that is most valuable in today’s competitive market. We love working with Maura and we look forward to working together on future projects."

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